Visitor aiding friend drowns

LORY POUNDERStaff Writer

Published Wednesday, March 23, 2005

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Lifeguards Jessica Earl and Andrew Carre scoured St. Augustine Beach for more than two hours Tuesday afternoon searching for Ryan Ladd, 19. People on the beach spotted Ladd about 2:40 p.m. near the shore. After being pulled from the water, he was transported to Flagler Hospital and pronounced dead.

By LORY POUNDER, Staff Ryan Ladd, a 19-year-old college man, drowned while trying to rescue his friend Tuesday afternoon at St. Augustine Beach.

"He risked his own damn life to save me," said Joseph Robinson as he cringed with sadness.

Robinson, 27, stared at the waves behind Sea Colony with tears running down his face and the hope that his friend would surface.

Ladd and two close friends came to St. Augustine from Kentucky to visit Ladd's father during spring break.

The three woke up not feeling great, but decided to jump up and go to the beach.

After a swim, Ladd and Jeremy Sexton, 18, returned to the sand.

Robinson kept getting pulled out by the waves and he began to holler for help. Immediately, Ladd jumped in the water to try and save his friend.

Sexton called 911 at 12:18 p.m., and within two minutes lifeguards patrolling the beach responded to the scene.

Safety Tips

If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will bring you to safety.

You should always learn the conditions before getting in the water. Also, if you can't swim for more than 15 minutes without struggling, don't go in above your waist.

Robinson said Ladd tried to reach him, but he was freezing from the water and they couldn't get to each other.

"He was doing his very best," Robinson said as he stood on the beach shaking. "I just feel so bad 'cause I couldn't make it."

Robinson said Ladd was like a brother to him. He was the type of person who would help anyone.

The last time Robinson saw Ladd, he was drifting farther out.

"It is like a big nightmare," Robinson said.

Robinson said his legs were going numb when lifeguard Andrew Carr pulled him out of the water.

Four lifeguards, beach police and sheriff's deputies searched for about 21/2 hours before they found Ladd.

People on the beach spotted Ladd in shallow water about 1,500 feet from where he disappeared. About 2:40 p.m., lifeguards pulled him from the water, tried to resuscitate him and transported him to Flagler Hospital.

Ladd died before he arrived at Flagler, said Peter Bacon, the hospital's spokesman.

Officials were unsure if Ladd got caught in a rip current, but they said a few rip currents were spotted in the area.

Rough waves rolled in on top of one another onto the foggy beach.

Captain Dan Power with St. Johns County Division of Beach Safety helped pull Ladd from the water.

"A day like today does promote rip current activity," Power said.

St. Johns County Aquatic Supervisor Dave Williams said this is the first drowning this year.